Boarding Schools See Increase In Diversity

When her mother presented the idea to Stormi Abrams-Haggard as she completed eighth grade at a Chicago public school, Stormi wasn’t quite sure what to think of it.

Her mother, Kecia Abrams, had become increasingly ill, suffering from sarcoidosis of the lungs, and someone had suggested she look into Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa., for her two daughters.

Hershey seemed a long way from their Park Manor neighborhood.

“But I’ve always been open to new things,” said Stormi, now 17 and starting her senior year at the nation’s largest free boarding school for underprivileged kids.

“I would say I was nervous — not scared, more anxious,” the youth said. “It took a lot of getting used to — especially sharing a home with 13 other girls, when it had been just me, my mom and sister. Today, I can say it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ve gotten so much.”